U.S. patent number 5,934,792 [Application Number 08/805,046] was granted by the patent office on 1999-08-10 for flexible lighting system.
This patent grant is currently assigned to ITC, Inc.. Invention is credited to Richard J. Camarota.
United States Patent |
5,934,792 |
Camarota |
August 10, 1999 |
Flexible lighting system
Abstract
A flexible lighting system and method of making same is
disclosed. The flexible lighting system includes a flexible
translucent rod and an attachment flange. Preferably, the outer
casing and the attachment flange are integrally formed to
facilitate installation. The flexible translucent rod includes an
outer casing and a lighting core. The lighting core is disposed
within an axial aperture defined by the outer casing and contains a
series of lighting elements. In the preferred embodiment, a
texture, such as axial grooves, is applied to a surface of the
flexible translucent rod. This texture may be applied to the outer
surface of the lighting core or the inner surface of the outer
casing to diffuse the light emitted by the discrete lighting
elements, thereby providing an appearance similar to a solid bar of
light.
Inventors: |
Camarota; Richard J. (Holland,
MI) |
Assignee: |
ITC, Inc. (Holland,
MI)
|
Family
ID: |
25190558 |
Appl.
No.: |
08/805,046 |
Filed: |
February 24, 1997 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
362/558; 362/240;
362/246; 362/249.08; 362/249.14 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F21V
21/005 (20130101); B60Q 3/78 (20170201); F21S
8/032 (20130101); F21V 23/06 (20130101); F21S
4/22 (20160101); A62B 3/00 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F21V
23/06 (20060101); F21S 4/00 (20060101); F21V
23/00 (20060101); F21V 21/005 (20060101); B60Q
3/02 (20060101); B60Q 3/00 (20060101); F21V
021/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;362/249,246,240,226,62,470 ;439/682,683,686,692,695,668-9
;445/22 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Husar; Stephen
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Rohm; Benita J. Monsanto; Raphael
A. Gaffin; Richard A.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A flexible lighting system comprising:
a plurality of sets of electrically interconnected lighting
elements, said sets being electrically coupled to one another;
a flexible translucent rod containing said plurality of sets of
electrically interconnected lighting elements, said rod having a
circumference and an axis; and
an attachment flange axially connected to said flexible translucent
rod, said attachment flange being formed integrally with said
flexible translucent rod and facilitating installation of said
flexible translucent rod,
whereby said flexible translucent rod and said integrally formed
attachment flange can be cut in regions intermediate of respective
ones of the sets of electrically interconnected lighting elements
without affecting the electrical interconnection within any such
sets of electrically interconnected lighting elements.
2. The flexible lighting system of claim 1, wherein said flexible
translucent rod forms a generally cylindrical aperture for holding
an inner lighting core, said inner lighting core having a textured
outer surface for diffusing light emitted from the lighting
elements.
3. The flexible lighting system of claim 2, wherein the textured
outer surface comprises axial grooves.
4. The flexible lighting system of claim 1, wherein said flexible
translucent rod forms a generally cylindrical aperture for holding
an inner lighting core, said aperture being formed by an inner
surface of said flexible translucent rod, the inner surface being
textured for diffusing light emitted from the lighting
elements.
5. The flexible lighting system of claim 4, wherein the textured
inner surface comprises axial grooves.
6. The flexible lighting system of claim 1 further comprising:
a power connector for providing electrical power to said system;
and
a power receptor for receiving electrical power from said power
connector, said power receptor including a compression fitting
positioned co-axially with said translucent rod and disposed at an
end of said translucent rod; a compression collar disposed around
said translucent rod, and a conductive insert for mating said power
receptor with said power connector, the conductive insert disposed
between and retained by the compression fitting and the compression
collar.
7. A method of making a flexible lighting system comprising the
steps of:
extruding an inner lighting core, said inner lighting core formed
of flexible translucent material and containing a plurality of
lighting elements; and
extruding an outer casing for said inner lighting core, said outer
casing having inner and outer surfaces and including an attachment
arrangement integrally formed therewith.
8. The method of claim 7 further comprising applying a texture to
the outer surface of the inner lighting core to diffuse light
emitted by the plurality of lighting elements.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the applied texture of the outer
surface of the inner lighting core comprises axial grooves.
10. The method of claim 7, further comprising applying a texture to
the inner surface of the outer casing to diffuse light emitted by
the plurality of lighting elements.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the texture applied to the
inner surface of the outer casing comprises axial grooves.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to flexible lighting
systems, and more specifically, to a flexible lighting system which
may be bent and folded to accommodate a variety of surfaces and
which may be more efficiently installed than prior art flexible
lights.
2. Description of the Related Art
Flexible lighting strips or rods have been known for many years.
Typical applications for such flexible lighting include: interior
and exterior trim for recreational vehicles, trim for boats,
showcase and display lighting and aircraft emergency pathway
illumination.
One typical flexible lighting strip, disclosed by Anquentin in U.S.
Pat. No. 4,107,767, is comprised of an elongated section of
transluscent plastic material having a portion formed as a
cylindrical duct which houses a chain of electric lamps. At one end
of the cylindrical duct, a pair of conductors is exposed for
energizing the electric lamps. The cylindrical duct is filled with
a translucent polymerizable compound which fixes the relative
position of the chain of electric lamps within the cylindrical
duct. Such a flexible lighting strip is preferably mounted to a
support, such as a showcase, using double-sided adhesive tape.
A typical flexible lighting rod, disclosed by Lin in U.S. Pat. No.
4,607,317, consists of a molded or extruded, bendable and foldable
bulb-holding bar body made of poly-vinyl-chloride ("PVC") or
similar plastic, two conducting wires and a plurality of conductive
plugs connected with a plurality of small bulbs spaced with
suitable pitch in series. The foremost and terminal bulbs of each
set of bulbs are connected to the two conducting wires. This
flexible lighting rod is typically mounted to a support using
brackets or similar fasteners.
Notwithstanding the aforementioned known flexible lighting strips
and rods, there is a need for an improved flexible lighting system.
Specifically, there is a need for a flexible lighting system that
provides greater efficiency, flexibility and precision in mounting.
An improved mounting alternative facilitates installation and
promotes use of the improved flexible lighting system. There is
also a need for a method of making a flexible lighting system that
not only facilitates installation but also provides a light source
that is distributed throughout the length of a lighting rod,
thereby reducing the segmented appearance of the discrete lighting
elements and providing more of an appearance of a solid bar of
light.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Objects of the Invention
It is an object of the present invention to provide a flexible
lighting system that provides improved efficiency, flexibility and
precision of installation over the prior art.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method
of manufacturing a flexible lighting system that produces a
flexible lighting system providing more efficient, flexible and
precise installation than the prior art.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method
of manufacturing a flexible lighting system that produces a
flexible lighting system that provides a light source that
distributes light throughout the length of a lighting rod.
Summary of the Invention
In carrying out the foregoing and other objects of the present
invention, a flexible lighting system is provided including a
flexible translucent rod and an attachment flange. The flexible
translucent rod includes an outer casing and an inner lighting
core. The inner lighting core contains a plurality of lighting
elements. The attachment flange is axially connected to the outer
casing of the flexible translucent rod and facilitates efficient,
flexible and precise installation of the flexible lighting system.
Preferably, the flexible translucent rod and the attachment flange
of the flexible lighting system are integrally formed.
In the preferred embodiment of the disclosed flexible lighting
system, the light emitted from the lighting elements is distributed
throughout the length of the lighting rod. This can be
accomplished, using a textured surface, such as a surface employing
axial grooves along the length of the flexible lighting rod.
In further carrying out the above objects and other objects of the
present invention, a method of making a flexible lighting system is
disclosed comprising the steps of extruding an inner lighting core
and extruding an outer casing for the inner lighting core. The
inner lighting core is formed of flexible translucent material and
contains a series of lighting elements. The outer casing is also
formed of flexible translucent material and includes an attachment
flange to facilitate installation. Preferably, a texture is applied
to a surface of the flexible lighting system to diffuse light
emitted by the series of lighting elements. The texture, such as
axial grooves, may be applied to either the outer surface of the
inner lighting core or the inner surface of the outer casing.
It is an advantage of the present invention to provide efficient
installation of the flexible lighting rod. This advantage is
possible because the attachment flange can easily be mounted using
common fasteners such as tacks, staples, nails and screws.
A further advantage of the present invention is the appearance of a
solid bar of light. This results in a more attractive appearance as
well as a more even distribution of light on an illuminated
subject.
The objects, features and advantages of the present invention are
readily apparent from the following description of the preferred
embodiments when taken in connection with the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Comprehension of the invention is facilitated by reading the
following detailed description, in conjunction with the annexed
drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of this
invention;
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of this invention;
FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the flexible lighting
system in accordance with the invention; and
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the power connector for the
flexible lighting system; and
FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the power source receptor
for the flexible lighting system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring now to the drawing figures, FIG. 1 shows a partial
longitudinal sectional view of a flexible lighting system 110 in
accordance with the present invention. System 110 includes an outer
casing 112, an inner lighting core 114 disposed within outer casing
112, an attachment flange 116 attached to the outer casing 112 and
an end cap 118 for terminating an end of flexible lighting system
110.
Outer casing 112 consists of an extruded flexible translucent
material such as PVC or similar plastic. The appropriate diameter
and thickness of outer casing 112 depends upon the intended use of
the flexible lighting system. Typical applications call for outer
casing diameters of 1/2 inch or 3/8 inch. Attachment flange 116 is
integrally formed of outer casing 112 allowing outer casing 112 to
not only cover and protect lighting core 114, but also facilitate
easy installation. Installation of flexible lighting system 110 can
be accomplished using standard fasteners including staples, tacks,
nails and screws among others. The ability to use standard
fasteners during installation is a significant advantage over the
prior art for at least two reasons: First, because the flexible
lighting system of the present invention is typically used in
applications such as recreational vehicle trim, boat trim and
showcase display unit lighting, the flexible lighting rods must
often be installed in positions and along surfaces which make
installation difficult. Second, the flexible lighting system of the
present invention is typically installed by unskilled laborers and
hobbyists.
Like outer casing 112, inner lighting core 114 consists of an
extruded flexible translucent material such as PVC or similar
plastic. As shown in FIG. 1, inner lighting core 114 includes an
outer surface having a texture of axial grooves. This or another
texture can be applied during the extrusion process.
Referring now to FIG. 2, inner lighting core 114 includes two
substantially parallel electrical conductors of suitable grade 210
and 212 which span the portion of the flexible lighting system that
is to be illuminated. Inner lighting core 114 further includes a
number of electrical light bulbs 214 connected to electrical
conductors 210 and 212. Although the electrical light bulbs of FIG.
2 are shown connected to electrical conductors 210 and 212 in
series, the could easily be connected in another fashion, such as
in parallel. In fact, the two methods of connecting the electrical
light bulbs 214 could be combined to provide a flexible lighting
system which may be cut to lengths based on the intended
application of the flexible lighting system. In such an embodiment,
sequential sets of electrical light bulbs 214 may be interconnected
in light bulb group that span, for example 18 inches. Such
interconnection may be in series so that the translucent core and
inner lighting rod of the flexible lighting system may be cut at
certain 18 inch intervals without destroying the electrical
integrity of the flexible lighting system. The ability to cut the
system to a desired length renders the flexible lighting system
more versatility and provides the ability to apply the system to a
larger variety of applications.
Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown a transverse sectional view
of the flexible lighting system in accordance with the present
invention. As shown, inner lighting core 114 is positioned within
outer casing 112. Inner lighting core 114 includes apertures 310
and 312 for retaining electrical conductors 210 and 212, and
aperture 314 for retaining electrical light bulbs 214.
Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown a perspective view of the
power connector 410 for the flexible lighting system. Power
connector 410 includes female plug 412 having two receptacles 414
for receiving and conducting power to conductive pins 518 described
with reference to FIG. 5. Power connector 410 further includes
compression collar 416 to provide threaded attachment to barrel
fitting 516 of power source receptor 510 described with reference
to FIG. 5. Finally, power connector 410 includes power cord 418
having two conductors in electrical communication with receptacles
414.
Referring now to FIG. 5, there is shown power source receptor 510
for allowing flexible lighting system 110 to receiving electrical
power. Power source receptor 510 includes compression collar 512,
conductive insert 514 and barrel/compression fitting 516.
Compression collar 512 is slipped onto the flexible lighting rod of
flexible lighting system 110 with the threaded end disposed so as
to receive the slotted end of barrel/compression fitting 516 and
retain conductive insert 514. Conductive insert 514 is inserted
into the end of the flexible lighting rod so that the sharp ends of
conductive pins 518 provide electrical connection with electrical
conductors 210 and 212.
Although the invention has been described in terms of specific
embodiments and applications, persons skilled in the art can, in
light of this teaching, generate additional embodiments without
exceeding the scope or departing from the spirit of the claimed
invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the drawing and
description in this disclosure are proffered to facilitate
comprehension of the invention, and should not be construed to
limit the scope thereof.
* * * * *